arXiv2026
The law of maximum entropy production (LMEP) is a selection principle stating that a non-equilibrium system will select the path or assembly of paths out of available paths that minimizes the potential or maximizes the entropy at the fastest rate given the constraints. Precise quantitative experimental tests are desirable for LMEP verification. Here we report electrical-circuit experiments on suspensions of silver particles which self-organize under electric field, form conducting paths and thus generate entropy by Joule heating. Our experiments on parallel-connected pairs of samples demonstrate a competitive relationship, thereby supporting the selection of the most efficient path. We find: (1) With sufficient voltage, a conducting bundle of silver particles forms, which acts as a self-organized dissipative structure (SODS). (2) With two samples in parallel, usually only one can develop SODS, due to the competition effect. As one sample approaches the maximum EPR, the others EPR is near zero. This confirms the path selection principle: only the highest EPR path survives. (3) At the end of the evolution, the sum of the sample EPR and the power supply circuit EPR approaches the calculated maximum. The deviation from the maximum is slightly lower when there are two competing samples. We identify the selection mechanism enabling natural selection and LMEP: A SODS gains a form of physical "fitness" when it establishes a pathway that efficiently suppresses the driving thermodynamic potential. As it develops and approaches the maximum EPR, the SODS modifies its nonequilibrium environment by consuming available free energy and eliminating the gradients that could support alternative pathways. We also examine the global implications of LMEP and propose that it serves as a driving mechanism propelling the hypothetical ascent of civilizations along the Kardashev scale.